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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25931989">Maybe next time</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaddieFrog/pseuds/PaddieFrog'>PaddieFrog</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Undertale (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A little bit of sad fluff as well, Afterlife, Angst, F/M, Implied Death, Implied Violence, Implied blood, One Shot, but nothing too graphic, could probably be read as platonic too if preferred, post no mercy run, sad ghosts are sad</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-20 08:40:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,520</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25931989</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaddieFrog/pseuds/PaddieFrog</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After a long battle, Sans finds himself in the expected place that comes after. But oddly, its not his brother who has first come to meet him on the other side.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sans/Toriel (Undertale)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Maybe next time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Entry for Day 1 of Soriel Week 2020. Starting with the Angst right from the get go yet again. </p><p>Also tried writing from Sans' POV this time. It was a fun challenge! </p><p>(Not related to my current ongoing multi-chapter fics) </p><p>(Warnings for this one-shot: Implied death, wounds, blood, and violence. But nothing too graphic. Pretty much what would be expected from a fic referencing the no mercy run.)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>    </p><p> </p><p>It was cold. </p><p>It was cold when he hit the tiled floor, body rapidly going to pieces. And it was cold now. Wherever he was.</p><p>Everything still ached. Like acid eating through his bones. The pain was always strangely familiar, expected. But that never stopped it from hurting.</p><p>He curled his crimson stained mitten tighter over his ribcage, not even sure if he was facing up or down. He didn’t dare open his sockets, wanting more than anything to slip away from all this into sleep. He was so unbelievably tired.</p><p>The sounds of a small child’s body repeatedly slamming into the floor and against the walls kept swimming through his skull, ruining any chance of that. Paired with the hazy visions of a gold hallway littered with bones and awash in great stains of red, it was like a cruel joke. So much for this process being peaceful.</p><p>How long had it gone on this time? How many times had he killed them?</p><p>It didn’t matter anymore. So he wished his mind would stop asking.</p><p>With every moment that passed though, he did start to notice the cold all around was losing its grip on him. Something warm had come to combat it. Something physical… soft. Something… that smelled like cinnamon… and butterscotch?</p><p>The oddity of that alone was enough to calm the chaos of his thoughts some, and convinced him to attempt to open his weary sockets. It was more effort than expected, but he managed it.</p><p>What met his eyelights then when they were able to focus was… unexpected to say the least.</p><p>Soft scarlet eyes stared down at him, set in what seemed to be a sea of white fur. Long creamy white ears framed their face and two horns crowned their head. Strangely, there were also what appeared to be shining specks in their fur, glittering like tiny stars. Those same specks were also lazily floating in the air around them, bright and twinkling against what seemed to be all encompassing blackness in every direction.</p><p>Judging from the angle he was seeing them from, he realized they were holding him in their large arms. making him feel utterly tiny… but safe. The monster shouldn’t have been familiar, yet somehow he knew exactly who she was.</p><p>“Oh thank goodness…” She sighed with relief before smiling down at him. “I was starting to worry you may not wake up!”</p><p>He just stared up at her for a few moments, mind awhirl with questions he was too tired to focus on. But he eventually managed a weak smile.</p><p>“heh… well this is new.”  Was all he could think to say, thinking aloud more than anything.</p><p>He had been expecting his brother. Surely that was who must have greeted him all the other times he’d ended up here. It only made sense. But thinking about it too much would only add a skullache to all the other aches consuming him. So he didn’t bother to question it. Worrying about the logistics of what happened in this place didn’t have much of a point.</p><p>Besides… he’d be lying if he denied seeing her didn’t stir the first positive feelings he’d felt in… gosh… how long had it been since he’d seen Papyrus’ scarf half buried in the snow at the outskirts of Snowdin? Whatever… if she was here, he must be here too.  </p><p>“Greetings, my friend.” She said warmly, though her eyes were still noticeably sad. “It is I, Toriel. I know you may not recognize me, but my voice may sound familiar to you, does it not?”</p><p>“yah. nice to see you tori.” He said, finding the words oddly natural.</p><p>She blinked in surprise at that, tilting her head a bit in a way he couldn’t help but find endearing.</p><p>“Did... did you already-?” She began to question, but he interrupted her with a few shaky coughs.</p><p>“heh, don’t worry about it.” He rasped once he could speak again. “i just started connecting the dots over time, i guess.”</p><p>It was not a full lie, but not a full truth. He knew that. Though in that moment, he couldn’t have put into words just why that was. It didn’t matter anymore anyway. Not here.</p><p>She frowned, as though upset with her past self for potentially giving away her true identity unbidden. But her attention was drawn back to him as he stiffened up and winced from another wave of pain.</p><p>As much as he wanted to keep focused on her, the wound he carried that nearly split him from shoulder to pelvis was pretty darn good at demanding his attention. He squeezed the front of his shirt tighter, feeling that it was still soaked. When he shakily lifted his free hand in front of his face, he could see the splashes of dark red staining his mitten.</p><p>For some reason it made him want to laugh, but he didn’t know why.</p><p>“Do not worry, it stops hurting after a little while.” She assured him softly, giving his arm a consoling rub.</p><p>She turned her head a bit then so he could more easily see the scar on her face. A faded, but still noticeable remnant of a gash that stretched from her cheek up to under her right eye.</p><p>His breathing went funny for a moment, as something akin to a mix of nausea and anger briefly bubbled up inside him. But it wasn’t long before he forced his weary grin back into place with practiced ease.  </p><p>“good to know.” He rasped, wheezing out a chuckle. “was worried i might end up as half the skeleton i used to be.”</p><p>As if on cue, she laughed that brilliant laugh of hers. The kind that all but left her breathless. And though it was strained with the heavier emotions no doubt pressing down on her, it caused his grin to grow so much it made his cheekbones hurt.</p><p>He’d missed this. He did the best to avoid chuckling in turn though, as the action would no doubt further aggravate the gaping slash through his ribs.</p><p>Once she had calmed down and returned her ruby red gaze back to him, he shook off his ruined mitten, lifted his trembling free hand to her, and gave the best smile he could manage.</p><p>“the names… sans.” He croaked out. “sans the skeleton.”</p><p>As usual, he slipped the whoopee cushion he always kept in his hoodie sleeve up into his hand. Maybe the red stains all over it kind of ruined the effect, but he saw no sense in spoiling his routine if he could manage it.</p><p>The sound of artificial flatulence sounded somehow more hilarious when echoing through an ethereal void, he found.</p><p>She burst into laughter again, and his soul felt light.</p><p>...</p><p>Shortly after, he found himself being carried by Toriel down some winding, faintly glowing path through the darkness. Everywhere her paws stepped, the “ground” glowed for a few moments in the shape of her footprint before fading away. It reminded him faintly of waterfall, if waterfall also had a bunch of sparkling stardust floating around.</p><p>At the end of the path, in what could maybe be called “the distance”, he could see a place that was glowing far brighter, like a city floating in the middle of a pitch black sea. He tried not to look at it, it only made a new pain lash out at his soul.</p><p>Instead he looked back up at Toriel, and found that she had been looking down at him too. She played it off and returned her gaze to their destination, but Sans could see the conflicted emotions in her eyes. He debated staying silent, maybe just closing his eyes until whatever came next, but the words seemed to tumble out of him without his permission.</p><p>“so... i figure you must of seen what happened, huh?” He asked quietly, feeling the dulling pain of his wound thrumming beneath his phalanges.</p><p>Her breathing stalled and she momentarily struggled to look at him. The soft scarlet of her eyes was awash with what he was worried he may see there, guilt.</p><p>“Yes… we all did.” She admitted, holding him a little closer and swallowing hard. “Y-you… you fought bravely, my friend. Please just rest now.”</p><p>In a move that was all too familiar to him, she worked a smile back onto her face and quickly changed the subject.</p><p>“Everyone is waiting for you. Your brother included. Not too far from here.” She said, motioning towards the bright place in the distance. “He is a wonderful monster, so cheery and kind hearted despite all that has happened. I can see why you spoke so highly of him.”</p><p>His eyelights must have given away the inner surge of emotions he felt at the mention of his brother, as she added to her statement quickly.</p><p>“Oh, he wanted to be the one to come get you of course…” She assured him. “But it seems that since I am among those who have been here the longest, it is easier for me to traverse this place. I… I do not fully understand it myself yet.”</p><p>He hummed in acknowledgement, seeing the logic in what she was saying and not bothering to question it further. He was in no shape to imagine how such things worked here, though there was some small part of him that still held that interest regardless. Even if he didn’t want to admit it. </p><p>He couldn't help but think for a moment about how the other monsters must of reacted to Toriel, their long lost queen, suddenly reappearing to them in this place. Given the circumstances... if they knew all that had led to this... it was easy to imagine the majority of them would be less then pleased to see her.</p><p>Perhaps there was more to the fact she'd come to meet him alone than it seemed. If that was the case, and even if it wasn't, he figured the best thing he could do for her was try to keep her smiling. </p><p>“what, you weren’t just eager to see me?” He teased, wheezing out a chuckle despite his best efforts when she gave him a playful glare for it. It left his ribs freshly aching, but it was worth it.</p><p>“Well, I <em>am</em> very happy to finally meet you in person, my friend.” She said upon regaining her smile. “Just as I was happy to meet your brother and the others. We all have so much to talk about… and all the time in the world now to get to know one another.”</p><p>Just as quickly as it had come, her smile faltered again, and he could feel the conflicted emotions from her powerful soul radiate off her. She swallowed hard and let out a shaky sigh.</p><p>“I know… it is difficult to feel anything truly positive after all that has happened.” She said, voice noticeably trembling. “But at least… it is over now, and we will all be together. Just try to remember that.”</p><p>Sans couldn't be sure if she was really talking to him, or herself with that last bit. In any case, she kept walking, a bit faster than before. She kept her eyes on the path ahead, but he just kept his gaze fixed on her.</p><p>“right…” He responded quietly, trepidation beginning to wind tighter around his soul.</p><p>He couldn’t just keep ignoring it. No matter how much he tried to avoid the thought, it was growing like a weed and inevitably kept choking out any opposing ones.</p><p>He should keep his mouth shut. He shouldn’t say anything. He should just go to sleep and let it happen. He should spare her from this. But...</p><p>His gaze met hers again, and he felt like his soul was being squeezed.</p><p>“tori… listen…”</p><p>The words had barely left him before they both were hit by a powerful wave of... something. Strong enough to make Toriel stop in her tracks and look around in alarm. Sans didn’t know exactly what it was, but he knew what it meant. It felt like all the vitality he had left drained from him in that moment.</p><p>“What on earth was that?” Toriel asked quietly, more to herself it seemed.</p><p>“nothing good.” Sans replied, internally wincing a bit as she looked down at him in surprise.</p><p>Her gaze silently demanded to know what he meant, fear creeping bit by bit into her expression. He sighed in defeat, knowing there was no backing out of it now. He could already feel the tips of his phalanges going numb, and hear a dull whine in the far distance.</p><p>“tori, we… we aren’t gonna make it back to the others.” He said, shutting his sockets briefly.</p><p>Toriel stiffened, and he could feel the faint prick of her claws against him as they slid out of their own accord.</p><p>“Wh-what?” She stammered, clearly hoping he was setting up a joke somehow. “What do you mean?”</p><p>The hollow expression on his face no doubt banished any hope she had that this was some poor excuse for humor on his part. Even though her eyes were painful to look at then, he did his best to keep his wits long enough to explain what he could.</p><p>“tori... the stuff with the human… it goes beyond just what they did to us.” He said, ignoring the now creeping numbness in his phalanges. “they... they are causing something a lot worse to happen… i dunno what it is. but i’m pretty sure it’s happened before. i’ve uh… seen the data.”</p><p>There was no time to explain that last part, and it reminded him too much of his encounter with the kid anyway. He had to get to the point.</p><p>“for some reason… everything disappears at the end of this. and i do mean… everything.”</p><p>Toriel just stared at him in silence, mouth opening and closing but not finding any words. He could tell she wanted to argue, but surely she was feeling what was coming just as much as he did. And just as it seemed she may finally reply, another wave, stronger than the last nearly knocked her off her feet.</p><p>She staggered, clutching him tightly in an effort not to drop him. Once the initial shock had passed, her gaze quickly snapped to the lights in the distance. Sans didn’t have to look to know they’d be flickering, feeling the effects of what was coming as well. The sparkling bits of stardust around them were also winking out one by one, leaving them in further darkness every moment. It wouldn’t be long now.</p><p>It was then that it became clear Toriel wasn’t going to question things further. She didn’t fully understand, but she really didn’t need to. The idea had sunk in, as he could sense the weight of it slowly taking hold of her. Despite all her fur keeping her warm from the chill of this place, she began shivering lightly.</p><p>“i’m sorry.” He murmured without thinking, resisting a far harsher shudder of his own. “this is what happens when people like me take it easy.”</p><p>He didn’t expect a reply to that. If anything he expected anger from her, as she realized just what his failure to stop the human had truly meant. But instead it was that guilt he’d seen from her before that made itself known.</p><p>“Please, you must not blame yourself.” She implored in a dazed tone. “You... you fought so hard to stop them in the end… If anything… I am to blame for asking you to protect them…”</p><p>He closed his sockets with a soft sigh at that, all while feeling the numbness had consumed his hands and feet entirely. He considered arguing with her further, insisting his lack of earlier action against the kid far outweighed her wanting to give them a chance. But there was just no time. There were better things to focus on in what little they had. </p><p>“well... for what it’s worth… i think your heart was in the right place, y’know?” He assured her, resting the side of his skull against her slightly. “you couldn’t have known. and i doubt the other humans were anywhere near as bad as this one, otherwise you wouldn’t have given this one a chance in the first place.”</p><p>She didn't reply, only continued to shiver in silence. </p><p>He knew he couldn’t free her of her own guilt no more than she could free him of his. But he didn’t want her last thoughts to be those of self hatred. Not if he could help it anyway.</p><p>He tried to think of some last knock knock joke, knowing it was the only real sort of comfort he could reliably offer her. Pathetic as that was. But the increasing signs of their certain doom’s rapid approach all around them kind of made it hard to come up with any decent material.</p><p>It was her who ended up speaking again first, in a surprisingly calm tone all things considered.</p><p>“Then... this is it?” She asked, her eyes growing hazy. “Why then… why were we brought here? I..." </p><p>She turned her head away, stifling what sounded like a sob.</p><p>"I never was even able... to find my children..." She croaked out, the words heavy with despair. "Wh-what was the point of any of this..?" </p><p>It was a question he could never answer. It was unlikely anyone really could. But she knew that. The question was rhetorical, but he played along anyway. If only to keep from giving into the icy fear that wanted so badly to ensnare him.</p><p>“i wish i knew...” He replied weakly, breath hitching a bit. “guess it’s just... one last dance before the curtain call.”</p><p>He meant it to be that last twinge of humor he wanted to get out. But the strain in his voice robbed it of any joviality, making it humorous in a different way perhaps, but not how he intended. Maybe if his funny bone hadn’t just gone numb as well, it would have been better.</p><p>Toriel didn’t reply for a long moment, staring at where the bright lights in the distance had once been. Now they were so dull, they were barely visible amongst the sea of black. He struggled not to think of his brother and the others, frightened and having no idea of the secondary and final fate that was bearing down on them. Or perhaps that had already claimed them.</p><p>Instead Toriel’s voice brought his wavering focus back to her, as she subtly tightened her grip on him. Her face remained impressively stoic as she spoke, even as a few tears silently spilled from her eyes.</p><p>“Will I… ever see you again, my friend?” She asked softly, looking down at him as though trying to memorize every element of his face.</p><p>The question was so raw, he wondered if she’d even meant to speak it aloud. His soul got all tight in his ribcage, and he felt what may have been long withheld tears of his own wanting to well up in his sockets. But he kept his usual smile in place all the same. If only for her sake.</p><p>Part of him wanted to lie again, to give her some last comfort before the end, but for some reason… he found he just couldn’t. Not with her looking at him like that.</p><p>“can’t know that for sure.” He admitted, giving a small shake of his skull. “we don’t have any say in what comes next. but... there’s a possibility that after everything’s gone, things might... start anew... reset, y’know?”</p><p>All of his limbs had gone numb now, and his vision blurred to the point he could no longer make out her features. Whether that was from tears or from the world’s imminent destruction, he didn’t know.</p><p>“you can be sure if we end up back at the start of all this...” He gave her a wink. “i’ll come knocking again as always.”</p><p>Those statements surely must have confused her, but the sentiment seemed to be enough that he could feel that she’d stopped trembling, and a flicker of warmer emotion emanated from her soul. Like a spark in the ever growing darkness. </p><p>“Perhaps then… there is at least a chance things will be better next time.” She said quietly, and he felt her chin rest upon the top of his skull as she held him close.</p><p>He closed his sockets and pressed a little closer to her in return, feeling his awareness starting to steadily slip away.  </p><p>As much as he would have liked to, he couldn’t share her optimism. Not after this. But she spoke with that same integrity that had made him soften enough that day at the Ruin’s door to break his personal rule against making promises. And just like back then, despite everything, she was getting to him again.</p><p>As foolish as it was, he allowed himself to hold on to that possibility as the last wave hit, eradicating everything in their world along with it.</p><p>“yah… maybe next time.”</p>
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